Coin counting machine



arch i5, 1948. W, A BARGANZ ET AL 2,437,721

COINCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 /f SHQN l March S, 1948. w. A. BARGANZ ET A1. 2,437,721

COIN COUNTING MACHINE v Filed Nov. ze, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIGB.

Patented Mar. 16, 1948 COIN COUNTING MACHINE Walter A. Barganz and Earl W. Quirk, Watertown, Wis., assignors to Brandt Automatic Cashier Company, Watertown, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 26, 1945, Serial No. 630,763

(Cl. 13S-8) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coin counting machines.

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved mechanism having an adjustable discharge capacity whereby to enable feeding and counting batches of coins of given denominations, and coincident diierent diameters, such as pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, half dollars or dollars.

The characteristic principle of the improvements resides in the movement and feed of the individual coins, from a batch of coins of a given denomination, to the counting device, without unduly crowding and jamming coins in transit to said counting device, or permitting coins to bridge the discharge outlet from the batch and having a balanced or non-traveling status thereat. In machine-counting of coins it has been the practice to provide a rotatable plate for supporting the batch of coins of the denomination to be counted, surrounded Iby a stationary conflning wall, and means for rotating the plate relative to said wall, the wall having a discharge opening leading to the counting mechanism, and in the operation of which the coins will lie flat upon the plate and be fed, under the rotation of the plate, outwardly towards the surrounding wall and be guided by the latter to the outlet, the coins assuming concentric series i'lat upon the plate and the outer series of coins being the ones initially discharged.

To make such a machine, as stated, substantially universal in character, that is, capable oi satisfactorily counting different batches of coins of corresponding diierent denominations, in the sense that each batch comprises coins of the same denomination, and consequently coins of the same diameter, attempts have been made to adjust the discharge opening, leading to the counter, to conform, as to length, to the diameter of the coins intended to be counted. However, such attempts have not been successful because they lack the essential consideration of separating or dividing oi oncoming coins from those arcuately aligned in the outer approximately circular se. ries for immediate count.

The consequence has been that a simple length adjustment of the inlet opening to the discharge is found inadequate. Jamming or balancing of the coins on the guide point or rail at the inlet opening, and consequent interruption in the feed to the counter, is not obvated.

Fundamental difficulty has been encountered in providing a satisfactory guideway leading from the discharge from the rotating coin plate to the counter, that may be adjusted not only 'as to length, as stated, but also coincidently adjusted with reference to the locating of oncoming coins in the guideway and adjacent to the inlet thereto, so as to insure a true and constant operating function in the feeding and guiding of the coins.

Some of such diiculties have arisen from complications encountered in an effort to provide the necessary iine adjustment flowing from linkage and gearing mechanisms, interconnected with opposite guide members or sides, forming the way leading to the counter, culminating in our discovery that the oncoming or inner coins, adjoining the outer circular series being discharged, must not be permitted to be forced towards or into the discharge way peripherally against the adjacent coins of the outer series being discharged, with a binding or jamming tendency, but must be deflected inwardly of the coin plate away from the coins of the discharging series.

This led to the discovery that in addition to having a discharge Way from the plate or pan leading to the counter, comfo-rmableto the Adiameter of coins under immediate count, and as distinguished from adjusting the opposite walls or rails of the Way,with respect to each other, one of said walls or rails should be given a compound adjustment, say generally both tangentially and radially of the coin-supporting plate and towards or from a xed separating or deflecting member, constituting the opposite cooperating wall or rail of the coin -discharge way, by means of which compound adjustment of the one guide rail or wall towards and from said separating or deflecting member, no oncoming coin will have its greater width or diameter located in the way leading to the counter, but must be located inwardly, approximately radially of the Plate, so that the smaller portion of the coin will have its curved edge engage the separating or deflecting member to force the coin inwardly of the plate and be thereby positively prevented from crowding or jamming those coins immediately passing to the counter through the guideway feeding thereto.

The same consideration, that is, as to location of the inner oncoming coils will obviate the diiculty previously encountered of having a coin balanced or centered on the end or point of the fixed guide member by engagement thereof in direct line with the diameter of the coin, preventing the non-feeding, crowding or jamming of the coins desired to be counted.

With all of the foregoing in mind, the preferredand practical embodiment of the instant invention comprises a means not only to adjust the one guide member or rail of the throat towards and from the other, to accommodate different batches of coins of given denominations, but also to eiect a supplemental or coincident adjustment of said member in a direction approximately radially of the coin-supporting plate, so that the coins aiected by such adjustment may freely and easily enter the guideway leading to the counting device, in a, manner to avoid being clogged or jammed at the inlet to said guideway, by other coins not in line for immediate counting, and which latter are deflected back or radially inwardly of the plate to clear the mouth or inlet to the guideway.

More specifically the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an adjustable wall or rail for the coins, in combination with a fixed guide or point opposite thereto, and means for adjusting said adjustable rail or wall to the diameter of coins intended to pass therebetween, and to cause oncoming coins, not immediately in line for count, to ride inwardly around and over said point and thereby prevent jamming and non-feeding movement, or centering and spinning of coins at the inlet passage or mouth of the guideway.

The referred-to preferred embodiment of the invention Yis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and the details of structure and functions thereof as hereinbefore outlined, will be apparent from an inspection of said drawings, when read in connection with the following additional description.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a top view, partly in section, and portions omitted, of a well-known coin counting machine, provided with the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a like view with the improvements shown in another adjustment, the arrangement of Fig. 1 being, for example, for dollars and that in this view being for dimes; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line indicated 3 3 in Fig. l, looking in the direction of thearrow.

It being observed that like reference numerals designate the same parts in the several views, I represents the usual base or supporting framework of the machine, customarily of hollow character andcontaining operating mechanisms or connectionsJ not necessary to herein illustrate or describe because they form no part of the present invention,

It is specifically noted, however, that a shaft I I, driven from a motor or other source of power is approximately centrally located in the casing I0 and extends upwardly into iixed connected relationship to the plate or disc I2, constituting the bottom of a coin-receiving pan or receptacle, the upstanding side wallof which is represented at I3, the plate or disc I2 being of a diameter approximately that of the space bordered by the side Wall I3 but free from Vsaid side wall to permit the rotation of the disc therewithin, the wall I3 remaining stationary.

The casing I0 and wall I3 of the `pan are formed of any suitable material aiording suiiicient strength and rigidity, in the main of metal or plastic, to provide the outside reinforcement or body I4 of the wall or side of the pan, having a smooth inner facing or lining I5 of steel or other material around which the coins may freely ride when contacted thereby under the centrifugal impelling influence of rapid rotation of the coin-supporting plate I2.

A peripheral coin outlet is indicated at 3 and it will be understood that a batch of coins introduced into the pan, upon the plate I2, will assume a at condition on the latter and be worked towards the margin of the plate I2 to the wall I3, of the pan, under the rotation of said pan, assembling in approximately circular series concentrically related to each other, inwardly towards the axis of the plate I2. The discharge opening I6 is arranged so that the outside series of coins will be delivered thereto and pass from the plate ,to the zone of the counting mechanism. This counting mechanism may be of any convenient or preferred type, it being remembered that the enumerating mechanism (not shown) is customarily actuated through the medium of the shaft I'I of a star wheel or the like I8, in the path of the outgoing coin from said outer series oi coins contacting and turning therewith.

An adjustable gauge I9 is slidably mounted on the base of the machine I0 to be slid back-andforth to adjusted position and there locked in place by a clamping pin 2li projected upwardly from said base, and passing through a slot 2I in the gauge, the latter having an indicator point or demarcation 22 adapted to register with any of a series of denoting characters 23, xed to the base or frame I0. Those illustrated are $-H Q-N-P and D, obviously suggesting dollars, halves, quarters, nickels, pennies and dimes.

To assure a true horizontally straight movement of the gauge I9, the same has the usual upstanding guide rail or rib 25 adapted to engage and slide in a complemental groove in a cover plate or equivalent part of the machine conforming to known practice in the art, and therefore not illustrated. A handled clamping nut 20 is provided on the threaded upper end of the pin 20 and bears on the surface of the gauge I9 to lock the gauge in selected position; and when the clamping nut is loosened the gauge may be shifted by a knob or the like I9 thereon.

Considering alone the edge26 of the gauge I9, and an oppositely disposed guide point or member 2l, it is of course, obvious that the adjustment of the gauge towards and from the member 2'! could give a certain degree of adjustment determinative of the diameter or size of the coin to be passedto the operating zone of the star wheel or the like, but as clearly explained in the iorepart of this specification, such an adjustment would at times be radically insufficient and unsatisfactory. i

If other considerations are ignored, it has been found by experience that such suggested adjustment as for counting dollars-coins of maximum or relatively large diameters-can be serviceable, but where it is desired to convert the machine into one for counting dimes or coins of substantially smaller diameter, the throat or guideway 28, for the passage of the coins to the star wheel, is necessarily of such'length that the oncoming coins-the Acoins next adjacent to the outside arcuate or concentric series-will sometimes be crowded and jammed at the inlet I 6. stopping the discharge of coins.

In other instances, where the oncoming coin of the next adjacent or inner concentric series of coins engages the guide point 21, exactly centrally thereof, or in line with its greatest width, the coin will be centered or balanced on the point 2'I and spin or turn thereat, thus also retarding the feed of the adjoining coin of ,the

I5 outermost series, orv creating a. cessation in the counting. operation.

The jamming or undue crowding or the. coins to` clog. the machine.. has been foundI to; arise particularly in those.- instances where the major half` or-.part of' the coin, including its greatest width, locates radially outwardly; beyond; the guide point 21,. resultingl ina wedging or the adjoining discharge coins.. incident to the crowding of the. oncoming coi-n beyond the point 2'! by: reason of the tendency of the smaller curved portion ot the coin tov continue movement b eyond said point, towards the star wheel; The cure, as: hereinbefore outlined, is; providing an adjustment so that the innerY series; of smaller coins are positively prevented from crowding into the outer series of discharging coins by having the diameter or greater width of the oncoming coin always occupy a position radially inwardly of' the supporting plate i122 so that simplyA a minor portion of its curved margin can proj-ect. beyond the guide point 2T whereby the reverse tendency of movement thereof is obtained, namely, the coin will be deflected by the point 2'I inwardly of the plate I2 around and away from the point 27, wedging of the coins. at. the outlet being thereby prevented. i

Mechanism for obtaining this assured operation may be` described as follows. Instead of utilizing merely the forward edge or corner 2B, of the gauge I3, as a constantly andl uniformly acting guide point r rail in cooperative relation to the guide point 21, We provide what is termed a toggle jointed guide rail to cooperate with the guide point 21, this toggle jointed arrangement comprising a long, arcuate rail 29, loose at one end 33, to freely engage a slot 3|, formed in the Wall member Ill and closed at its inner side by the facing or lining I5, of the wall I3 of the coin pan or receptacle, so that the free' end of the rail 29 may slide back-and-forth in said slot, the end portion of the lining I (best seen in Figure 3) engaging the adjacent portion of the rail and holding the same against displacement away from sliding engagement with the back of the slot 3|. This long, arcuate rail member 29 is pivoted at 32 to a short link 33, in turn pivoted at its opposite end 34 to the inner end of the gauge member or block IS, another diagonally disposed link 35 being pivoted at a point intermediate of the ends of the arcuate rail 23, at 3S, and to the outer end of the gauge member or block at 31.

By the arrangement just described it will be noted, on observation of Fig. 1, wherein the dollars 33 are shown being discharged for count, the toggle jointed coin guide is in its outermost position and the oncoming coin 38a can create no crowding at the outlet passage I6, because the guide point 21 and oncoming coin are so related that the latter will simply be directed away from the passage by the point 21 engaging the minor curved edge of the coin, resulting from the major portion beyond its diameter or greatest width being located inwardly of the point 21. However, in the instance of counting dimes or coins oi' a smaller diameter illustrated, for example, in Fig. 2, it will be seen that in the adjustment of the toggle jointed coin guide, the knee, so to speak, thereof is not only moved inwardly generally tangentially of the coin plate, but also concomitantly radially of the piate or pan towards the point 21, whereby (in this instance) the dimes 40 are so directed that the oncoming coin 43a cannot crowd or jam the discharging coins ot the outer` concentric or arcuate series; b ecause the! oncoming coin #0a. is compelled to. ride radially inwardiy--of thecoin plateor pan around the guidepoint. 21S, in. avoidance-of any tendency toi crowd under said point as wouldy be thecase it the coin 40a was centered or balanced on said point, or had? its major. portion beyond*` said point instead of located radially inward of the same.

In the sectional View off Fig. 3, is shown our customary: thickness gauge. All, forI the coins, this feature being omitted from the showing in- Figs. 1 and 2. The details of the same are unimportant, except as` to show ther generaly relationship of the same to thesupplemental AWidth gauge constituting the subject matter hereof'.

Actual demonstration has proven the practi- @abilityand great improvement of'- this compound adjustment oi? the onefguide mem-ber relative to theother fixed*A guide member asv compared to any; known mechanism heretoforet attempted.

While wehafve herein disclosed a single practicall embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that alterations and changes may be resorted tcwithout departing from thespirit oi the invention as the same is defined in the hereto appended claims.

We claim: Y

1. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins, a coin discharge way, means for delivering coins from saidhopper to sai-d coin discharge way and. counter-actuating means at the outlet of said coin discharge Way, Said coinv discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one of which is relatively fixed and provided witha coin separating point, and the other guide means comprising pivotall-y connected membersI and means for relatively adjusting said pivotally connected members radially and tangentially of said delivery means to move the connected member nearest to the coin discharge way toward or away from the coin separating point according to the size of coins to be counted.

2. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins, a coin discharge way, means for delivering coins from said hopper to said coin discharge way and counter-actuating means at the outlet of said coin discharge Way, said coin discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one of which is relatively fixed and provided with a coin separating point projecting towards the other guide means, and means for adjusting the other guide means radially and tangentially of said delivery means to move the end of said guide means nearest to the said coin discharge way toward or away from the coin separating point according to the size of coins to be counted.

3. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins, a coin discharge way, means for delivering coins from said hopper to said coin discharge way and counter-actuating means at the outlet of said coin discharge way, said coin discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one of which is relatively xed and provided with a coin separating point projecting towards the other guide means, said other guide means comprising an articulated construction having a knee movable radially and tangentially of said coin delivery means and toward or away from the coin separating point according to the size of coins to be counted.

4. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins, a coin discharge way, means for delivering coins from said hopper to said coin discharge way and counter-actuating means at the outlet oi' said coin discharge way, said coin discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one o1' which is relatively xed and provided with a coin separating point projecting towards the other guide means, the other guide means being formed to permit a compound adjustment thereof relative to said coin separating point, the same comprising a reciprocal member, a link 'pivoted thereto, an elongated inner member pivoted to said link and also intermediate of its ends to a supplemental link in turn pivoted to said reciprocal member, and means for securing the adjustable guide means inits various positions of adjustment.

5. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins having a surrounding wall portion, a coin discharge Way, means for delivering coins from said hopper to said coin discharge wayand counter-actuating means at the outlet of said coin discharge Way, said coin discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one of which is relatively fixed and provided with a coin separating point projecting towards the other guide means, the said other guide means being formed to permit a compound adjustment thereof relative to said coin separating point, the same comprising a reciprocal member, a link pivoted thereto, an elongated inner member pivoted to said link and also intermediate of its ends to a supplemental link in vturn pivoted to said reciprocal member, the end of said elongated inner member opposite to the link connection-thereof being slidably associated with the surrounding wall portion of the hopper, and means for securing the adjustable guide means in its various positions of adjustment.

6. A coin counting machine including a hopper for said coins having a surrounding wall portion, a coin discharge way, means for delivering coins from said hopper to said coin discharge way and counter-actuating means at the outlet of said coin vdischarge way, said coin discharge way comprising oppositely disposed guide means one of which is relatively Xed and provided with a coin` separating point projecting towards the other guide means, the said other guide means being formed to permit a compound adjustment thereof relative to said coin separating point, the same comprising a reciprocal member, a link pivoted to the inner end thereof, an inner member pivoted to said link and being slidably associated with the surrounding wall portion of the hopper, a second link pivoted to the outer end of said reciprocal member and connected to the inner member spaced from the outer end thereof and positioned to operate approximately perpendicularly to said ilrst-mentioned link, and means for securing the adjustable guide means in its various positions of adjustment.

WALTER A. BARGANZ. EARL W. QUIRK.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Albrecht et al Mar. 10, 1925 Number 

